In a solar plant the switchboards are where the generated power is collected, protected and sent onward. Their design decides how much of what the array produces actually reaches the grid.
Boards are built for each project rather than taken from a catalogue: string counts, inverter configuration and the physical layout of the field all change the busbar sizing and the protection arrangement.
Outdoor service is the harshest part of the duty. Solar radiation, temperature swings, dust and humidity act on the enclosure every day, so ingress protection, ventilation and coating are specified against the site conditions rather than a nominal figure.
Typical scope: 400 V and 800 V solar collection boards, medium voltage switchgear, step-up transformer substations, metering and the grid connection point.
